Covid-19: Mosques close in Zimbabwe

The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Covid-19 Muslim Taskforce has ordered the closure of mosques in the wake of the Coronavirus and urged Muslims to observe prayers at home.

President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe, Sheikh Ishmael Duwa told the State media this Saturday that the closure of mosques in is line with government efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, adding that preservation of life is one of the objectives of Islamic Law.

Prayer is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and every Muslim is supposed to perform ritual prayers 5 times each day.

“As the Muslim community preservation of life is regarded as one of the higher objectives of Islamic law and as such when a situation arises whereby one or many lives are exposed to harm permission is given to forgo some obligatory and supregatory Islamic acts.

We therefore order the closure of mosques and strongly urge Muslims to observe their 5 daily prayers at home,” said Sheik Ishmael Duwa

Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey have also suspended religious gatherings that have large crowds.